Malawian govt to distribute maize to avert hunger

State Vice President, Everton Chimulirenji has said government has put in place strategies aimed at ensuring that no one dies of hunger in this country by providing relief food items and stocking Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) selling point with enough maize, saying 8 129 metric tonnes of maize has been set aside for distribution to household facing hunger.

Chimulirenji is welcomes by chiefs in Nkhotakota Chimulirenji hand over a bag of maize to one of the beneficiaries in Nkhotakota

Chimulirenji, who is also Minister of Disaster and Management Affairs, said on Sunday that the exercise has already started in some districts in the Southern Region.

He was speaking on Sunday at Mapala Primary School ground in the area of Sub-Traditional Authority (STA) Nkhanga in Nkhotakota district when he donated relief maize to people whose crops were destroyed by floods and elephants during last growing season.

Chimulirenji said he was sent by the President to see the affected people and offer them some help.

"Government had noticed that disasters that come due to floods have caused hunger in many parts of the country; therefore we have established relief food distribution programs aimed at mitigating the impact of food shortages" he said, adding this had already started in other districts," Chimulirenji said.

The Vice President plaedged continued government support to people affected by natural disasters through Dodma..

"We have set aside 8,129 tons of relief maize to help families affected by hunger in all the 28 districts in the country," he disclosed.

Chimulirenji appealed to the authorities and committees responsible for relief food distribution to ensure that food is given to only those who need urgent assistance.

He promised the people that government would engage relevant authorities to ensure that elephants do not destroy people's crops.

He said although it was difficult for the Vice President to visit every area affected by natural disaster, it was encouraging to note that government had directed that relief aid should go to every area in the country where there is need.

Sub- TA Nkhanga thanked the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government for providing relief maize to people in his area.

He said the area was facing food shortages because elephants and floods had caused damage to crops, adding huge cost of farm in-put and lack of enough extension workers was also responsible for the situation.

Secretary General of the Party, Grezelder Jeffrey, asked government to elevate Sub-TA Nkhanga to a Traditional Authority.

Chair of Village Civil Protection Committee, Sadik M'bwana, representing relief maize recipients thanked government for the relief maize saying it had come at the right time.

The District has received 3, 130 bags of maize to be distributed to all affected people in the district. At Mapala Primary School, the VP donated 600 bags weighing 50kg each.

Over 18, 236 households are in need of food aid in Nkhotakota, according to the 2018-2019 Malawi Vulnerability Assessment report (MVAC).